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Reader Comments: (Page 20)

I apologize. Mistral is right. Dumbledore's office opens for McGonagall and Harry.

Regarding McGonagall, this character seems fairly unpredictable to me. Of course, Jo might use her in book 7 to astonish us one more time: according to anyone's feeling, McG cannot be evil because she treats Harry well; this is the kind of red herring Jo has already used (cf Barty - Moody, or on the other side, Snape). Dumbledore also gives us some pieces of advice: he looks like regretting her standing at Privet Drive (in book 1). He doesn't involve her too much all along, but on the other side, he doesn't involve Harry as well. In fact, Dumbledore seems to give very few informations to other people, and only when it is necessary for immediate action. For instance, we do not know whether Dumbledore is informed - or not - that Quirrel is possessed by Voldemort. We do not know whether Dumbledore had realized, prior to James and Lily's that Pettigrew was betraying (I'm pretty sure he was, knowing who spies gives you a tremendous advantage, and how could he guess that Sirius and James would ask Peter to be the secret-keeper). Most probably, McG has been loyal to Dumbledore so far, but that does not mean she had no temptation to go the other way. So, concerning Mc Gonagall, we have to wait and see. It is up to Jo.

I would go a little further about Dumbledore. He seems to be perfectly accurate in his choices, knowing who is on his side and who is on the other side. As soon as Harry tells him about Wormtail, he trusts it although he has no proof (he probably knows by legilimency that Harry is not lying, but you can be totally honest and tell wrong stories, as for Luna Lovegood). I think Dumbledore trusts Harry because he already came to the same conclusion about Wormtail.

Jo gave a hint, saying that Dumbledore was alone. If Dumbledore is , then book 6 / book 7 is a transition from Dumbledore to Harry. We know that Dumbledore is much more powerful than Harry in many ways, and probably more than many former Hogwarts' headmasters (which means that he owns himself a great part of his power, apart from Hogwarts, Fawkes, and so on). We have to figure out then what Harry does better than Dumbledore. At least, there is one thing: Harry is able to give total confidence to close friends like Ron or Hermione. This might be a major statement in Jo's "teaching". You have to trust your friends, not for the next five days because you know they are for now on your side, but without any consideration of time. Then, Harry's ability for loving other people (according to the Christian meaning for the word "loving") is much better than Dumbledore's. Jo might tell us than being able to love other people gets you more powerful against evil (Voldemort) than having tremendous power in your wand. And if you want people do great things for you, then you have to trust them and give them all you can, as Harry did with DA (in the ministery of magic, DA members did a tremendous job against eaters, almost as good as the greatest wizards involved in OoP) and, as far as we know, Dumbledore did not with the OoP.

Posted by herve from strasbourg on January 3, 2007 02:48 AM

somewhere in this article is says that fawks the phoinex might be dumbledore's horcrux. i dont think that is right because dumbledore has not ed anyone and in order to have a Horcrux you must someone slugghorn saiid it in the pensive. but i do believe dumbledore is not because of the rest of your evedence, its great! keep it up!

Posted by miley cyrus from nashville,tennesse on January 3, 2007 11:22 AM

i really believe that dumbledore is but that his was an accident. snape said avada kevadra but performed an unspoken spell which produced green light and threw dumbledore up in the air. It was only because he was so weakened from the potion that he was thrown higher than meant and back over the wall so that he d as a muggle as it were.

Posted by hamlet from bradford on January 3, 2007 1:35 PM

ok here goes albus dumbeldore did and now be in the potrait because he d and is no longer headmaster.

however he is also alive because he had a horcrux which is i believe fawkes, i know all of this has been mentioned before and been counter argued by the fact that he has never ed anyone. however in philosphers stone, on the reverse of the choclate frog card it notes dumbeldores fame and includes his work with flamel the uses of dragons blood and his defeat of the dark wizard grindilwauld (or close spelling couldnt find my book to get exact quote)

however what if dumbeldore is not his real name but his actual name is godric griffyndor as it could not be clearer that if anyone was releted to him it would be dumbeldore.

we know that voldemort is slytherins descendent, i believe that dumbeldore is griffyndor and i also believe that zacharis smith is hufflepuffs descendant because of the fact that voldemort got hufflepuffs cup from an old lady caled smith who was distently related to helga hufflepuff. dont really know haow this fits in but hey im sure if it does fit in then i read about it in the summer ..... or later

Posted by greg from london on January 3, 2007 2:22 PM

Herve
I appreciated your comments on Harry’s abilitiy to love and like to add some of my own. When Dumbledore explains to him in OotP “You have a power that Voldemort has never had, you can love” Harry had difficulty to restrain himself in saying “Big deal” It is because Harry doesn’t understand so far his power.

He has had a couple of times some unexplainable strength of power. That power strengthens impressively whenever the person he loves, is in danger!

This is seen in PoA when Sirius Black is threatened by Snape. Professor Snape gets hit with the Expelliarmus Spell, fired by Hermione, Ron and Harry. Normally this spell only disarms the opponent, but in Snape’s case it knocked him unconscious for some time!

Also in PoA, Harry he used the Patronus Charm, to drive away a hundred Dementor’s, who attacked Sirius and himself.

In the beginning of OotP when his cousin Dudley is in danger of being “kissed” by dementor’s, he again casts the Patronus Charm which saves both of them. At the Ministry of Magic he is able to outwit the vicious Lucius Malfoy with the Impedimenta Jinx.

These are only a few examples for Harry’s ability to show how “powerful” he gets once his loved ones are in acute danger. Not for nothing was he able to teach his fellow students at the “DA” in OotP. No one has so far noticed just how extraordinary his powers get, while defending his friends.

Posted by Mistral from Switzerland on January 4, 2007 12:52 PM

Thanks Mistral, that is really interesting.

Besides that, I read what Hamlet wrote, and that gives me a clue. Some other people also noticed that Dumbledore did not at once when the Avada Kedavra was performed (Harry became frozen, for instance).

Using another spell making Dumbledore fall off the tower makes very much sense to me:

First, it gives sense to the fact it happens upon the tower and not anywhere else.

Second, it avoids Snape using an Inforgivable Curse towards somewhone who is not evil (Snape tells Harry not to do so immediately afterwards)

Third, it might have been dangerous to use an Avada Kedavra against Dumbledore in Hogwarts, thinking of the huge protections he must have set all over. Maybe the curse would have been harmful for Snape himself, and for Malfoy and Harry.

Fourth, it would be enough to Dumbledore, so that the unbreakable Vow is fulfilled.

Then, you can choose whether Dumbledore really s or not when he hits the ground. I guess he does.

I'm pretty sure Harry needs Snape, he needs to be a perfect Occlumens in his last battle against Voldemort, and I think, for reasons too long to explain here, that he also needs to master Sectumsempra better than he did on Malfoy.

There are two good witnesses for the Curse Snape used: Dumbledore himself (his portrait?) and Snape's wand. Should it be enough for Harry to trust Snape?

Posted by hl from france on January 4, 2007 1:58 PM

I am firmly in the Dumbledore is not camp and find a basis for hope in many of the theories.

On the theory regarding whether the person who d that night was actually Dumbledore, another point to note: in HBP, when climbing on the rocks by the cliff, its written: "And with the sudden agility of a much younger man, Dumbledore slid from the boulder... " HBP 557 (American). This really stood out at me because there are a number of references to Dumbledore seeming older than ever.

Between the emphasis on the Polyjuice Potion, the connection with The Hog's Head (Abeforth), and other theories, I just can't believe Dumbledore is .

As to what JKR said during the summer, of course she said "Dumbledore is ." First, that is the truth as the story stands now. Second, if she equivocated at all, everyone would know a HUGE part of the 7th book.

But maybe it's all just wishful thinking...

Posted by Becky from Madison, MS on January 5, 2007 6:51 PM

what about Dumbledor sleeping in the frame in his office wouldnt that mean that he is ... and also referring to star wars obiwan kenobi s in the 4th movie saying "if you me now i come back even more powerful than you can imagine". Yoda confirms this by in the end of the third book he tells obiwan "your former master has learned the ability to stop himself from !

Posted by unknown from albama on January 6, 2007 8:08 PM

firstly we are the two biggest harry potter fans and want to thank you for making this site some of the theories made us think twice about dumbledores and we are still undecided about if he is although you make some remarkable points.
McGonagall we think is definatley not a eater and throughout the books has done everything in her power to keep harry out of harms way has always been loyal and never done anything suspicious...
Wormtail is not a very powerful wizard and is definitely not Dumbledore in disguise. JK has already used poly juice potion for a eater in GOF with moody, there are so many other explinations for dumbledores somewhat skeptical why would she use it again....
now we have some theories of our own...
there are some of the horocrux that are unknown at this time, have you ever thought tht harry himslef could be one? it would make sense that voldemort wouldn't be able to unless harry did which would satisfy Voldemort knowing that harry would also be ed,
We also think that either ron or Hermione be ed in the up coming book, anyone who gets close to harry s

THEORY everyone who loathes Voldemort identifies as "he who must not be named, "You know who," and those like Harry and Dumbledore brave enough to speak his name. Voldemort and only people who idolise or follow Voldemort call him by the name "dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, Great Lord, Powerful Lord" etc! although throughout books snape has always reffered to Voldemort as the Dark lord meaning he was and probably still is a follower, and avoids speculation how he speaks of Voldemort from Harry and others.

Without dumbledore Harry has a near impossible task awaiting him to defeat Voldemort it would be ridiculous for not to have any allies apart from ron and hermione in his task to defeat Voldemort. Dumbledore knows more about Voldemort and his plans more then anyone and he could help Harry more a great deal Can harry do this without him? we don't think so.

Posted by laura and Jenna from Melbourne Victoria on January 7, 2007 02:57 AM

Hmmmmm hi, I had not thought about snapes' wand to prove anything, good thinking.
I really cant make my mind up if Dumbledore is , but would bet my bottom dollar that Snape is good.

Posted by Angela Brewer on January 7, 2007 2:46 PM

but... haven't all the other DADA teachers called him the the Dark Lord?

just a query

Posted by fangZ from bardwell AUS on January 7, 2007 6:04 PM

First, let me say that I have believed that Dumbledore wasn't ed from the time I first read it that first weekend in 2005 in the book came out. There were just too many clues that he wasn't. The scene was too contrived and lots of things didn't make sense. Why would he beg Snape to not him--would he not think this powerful ally was coming to join him? I think Jo Rawling wanted us to debate this and then after more than a year of debate decided to end that debate. I think that was planned to help keep the focus.

There have been some other things she has said that I have recently read that have me thinking.

First, she had to get the mentor out of the way, so that the hero could emerge on his own. This is what this genre, fantasy epic, has. In Lord of the Rings, Gandalf d at the end of the first volume and reappeared early in the second. But, the hero, Frodo, did not know this until he had completed his task at the end. Gandalf did many things to helped the cause, but Frodo didn't know that and other than Sam, was alone. Star Wars also is from this genre, even if set in outer space, and ObiWan Kenobi had to for Luke to come into his own (and similarly in the prequils, QuiGon Jin had to for ObiWan to emerge and train Anikan). This doesn't mean the mentor really had to , but instead that the hero had to believe it as a necessary step in his emergence as the real hero.

Second, Jo Rawling has left several possibilities whereby Dumbledore could speak in the future--the portrait, as a ghost, in Snape's wand (like James and Lily in Voldemort's wand released by a matching wand, the phoenix, or possibly something else). So, even if he is , there are means that he may appear at the end of the book (like he always has in the past) to explain what happened. He had to be removed as the person people looked to save them so that Harry could take that role, but his other role in the books was in explaining what was happening and that role doesn't have to end, even if he is .

Third, she talked about the difference between James' and Lily's s. James' did not protect his wife and son. But, Lily's protected Harry. Why? She says it was because she was given the choice. James was going to anyway, but Lily had the choice (as a mother, maybe not, but she still could have gotten out of the way). Why is this important? Because, of the four s of parental figures for Harry, Lily's was by choice and if Dumbledore d, his was also by choice. I really like the theory that he was protecting Harry when he apparantly d. Snape only came in after Malfoy began asking questions about the second broom. It is possible that Dumbledore d by choice to protect Harry and strengthen the cause. Perhaps, Harry now gets some benefit from this sacrifice by choice. If Dumbledore is indeed and given how contrived that scene was, this may be the only explanation that makes any sense and is acceptable to the massive fan base out there. (Along those lines, the only other "parental" figures in Harry's life, and very poor ones at that, are the Dursleys and Petunia is supposed to have some increased role in book 7. The protection spell for Harry no longer be there when he turns 17, so I wonder what happens right after that which involves Petunia. It would be hard to believe that she sacrifices herself for Harry by choice, but who knows. Her sister did.

Finally, the name of the book. "ly Hallows". I note in other languages, they keep coming out in English translations meaning something like "Saints of " or "ly Saints". It makes me wonder if there isn't some sort of Order of the Phoenix, but of people who have d. This does hark back to Star Wars and ObiWan, etc., becoming some sort of different type of being after "." Also, Lord of the Rings, with the army that helps Aragorn in the end. Could it be that Dumbledore ing chooses to and join some league of "qhosts" that include James and Lily after having been released from Voldemort's wand? And these "ly Hallows" are a key part in eventually destroying Voldemort?

Posted by Mike Johnson from Fallon, NV on January 7, 2007 10:03 PM

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